The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-06

While thus engaged Ifslt the sudden
application OF the air brakes, folio we'd
instantly by ths jar Of the reversal OF
the engine. Mechanically / dropped
into the seat, and, realizing thst
something YVES about to happen, /
grasped the back OF the sea, in front
Of me and brsced myself for the COM
ing shock. All this occupied but
moments time, AMI l do not
think three seconds elapsed from
the application Of the brakes
until the shock came. / was thrown
to nv feet By the force of the shock
bu. | did not lose my presence OF
mind. In fsct l had not time 10
realizs the dsnler until il wss pat.
Great excitement prevailed among
the passengers ia the Car, particularly
the ladies, although no one was bur.
beyond slight bruises. l turned Wy
attention to the pfcifyiDg Of the
women, when / heard some one cry
Fire" The front OF our car was
crushed in, but could ses no evil
dance OF flames. l raised a window
al d looked out. / saw the smoke III d
flames BURSTING from the windows Of
the smoker. then rushed the pas
seugeIs from the car ia which We
wsre, as the fire was beeinnirg 10
make its appearance at the fJrWaId
end. The ladies passed out fl st, and
! was about the last person to leave.
l know there was no one lsfi in
the cor, and 80 ansSered the inquiry
Of the conductor. mention this as
satisfaction 10 the friends OF thoss who
lost thlir lives n that il iated car. My
belief il tina ell or nearly ell were
killed iattant y, and no one
could have suffared linger-
ing dssth for ths reason that
life in the car would have been
impossible four minutss alter the co..
lisiOn occurred. | noticed Mrs Postle-
thwEite and her two children before
the accident, and CD e'ved, also, that
che was among the fist 10 leava the
car. At the point where the accident
occurred there 10 cut sky fee deep,
and when came ont of the car | saw
that the women and children were at
the bjttom OF this. / raised several Of
them up including Mrs. P5stlejh waite,
and started them back along the line
Of sleepers. They were all placed in
these coaches kept Tile, laugh or Ct
Mrs. Post ethws't, Is, ~ ON soma enc
carried 20 Il pubic, distance Of half
q mile, VIII sre ate was afttrwsrd found
by her frantic mother. We then
pushed the sleepers back to protect
them from the o,her care, whicN were
rapidly burning. / am firmly Of tue
opinion that more lives were lest than
have been reported. 1t is known that
but two persons etcaped from the
smoking car. had occasion 10 look
into theicar after leaving Newark and
noticed that it was all fiiled, there be.
ing apparently from thirly.fve to fifty
plssepg re. 1t Is i'm possible, # course,
that al but twelve or fiftesn # These
lsft TIE train at Mount Vernon end
May field and that there we're no add.
tions, but don't deem i. probable"
Coroner Lepper will not hold an in
queet for day or two yet. He has
arranged with the undertaken at Re-
public 10 keep the bodies OF the I'M
fortunate passengers until Saturday.
II they ore not claimed then they will
be buried in one grave. There was
Pennsylvania German in the smoker
who escaped unhurt, walked south
about four miles to Rockway Station,
and came to Tiflia on the Penneylva-
MIA road. He was sitting about the
middle OF the car quietly smoking his
pipe when the crash came. His seat
was wrenched from the hoor, and,
with lis occupant, hu led through sn
opening m the Top OF tue svaf anu
landed in snow drift. The man was
not hurt in the least,